You probably noticed it on your phone last year. One day you’re looking at a map of the coast, and instead of the familiar "Gulf of Mexico," it says Gulf of America. It felt like one of those Mandela Effect moments, right? But it wasn't a glitch. It was a deliberate, high-stakes move by the 47th President of the United States.
Honestly, the whole thing started with a casual comment at a Mar-a-Lago press conference in early January 2025. Donald Trump basically said the name didn't fit anymore. He argued that since the U.S. protects the water and pumps so much oil from it, it should reflect that. Fast forward to Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, and he signed Executive Order 14172, titled "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness."
That was the birth of the Gulf of America.
The Order that Redrew the Map
This wasn't just a tweet. The executive order specifically targeted the U.S. Continental Shelf. We’re talking about the area off the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Trump directed the Secretary of the Interior—at the time, Doug Burgum—to make the change official for all federal agencies.
Within days, the Department of the Interior was all over it. They issued Order No. 3423, which basically told the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) to swap the labels in their database. By late January, if you were a federal employee writing a report on offshore drilling or hurricane tracking, you weren't allowed to say "Gulf of Mexico" anymore. It had to be Gulf of America.
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Why the Change?
Trump’s logic was pretty straightforward, at least from his "America First" perspective. He tied the name change directly to his frustrations with border security and trade. At that same Mar-a-Lago event, he complained that Mexico wasn't doing enough to stop the flow of migrants. Renaming the water was a way to exert dominance.
"It has a beautiful ring," he said. "And it's appropriate."
There’s also the energy angle. The Gulf is a massive hub for U.S. oil and gas. By late 2025, the administration was leaning heavily into the idea that these waters are "American soil" in spirit. Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, even called it a "fact" that the water off Louisiana is the Gulf of America. She wasn't kidding. They were dead serious about making this the new standard.
The Tech Giants Fall in Line
This is where it got weird for regular people. Usually, when a president says something, half the country ignores it. But Google Maps and Apple Maps actually made the change for U.S.-based users.
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If you logged in from Houston, you saw Gulf of America. If you logged in from Mexico City, it still said Golfo de México. It created this bizarre digital border where the name of the sea changed depending on your GPS coordinates. Google defended it by saying they always follow the lead of the local government’s official nomenclature.
The Associated Press Feud
Not everyone was on board. The Associated Press (AP) flat-out refused to change their stylebook. They argued that the body of water has been the Gulf of Mexico for over 400 years and one executive order doesn't change global geography.
The White House didn't take that well. In February 2025, they started barring AP reporters from certain Oval Office events. It got so heated that the White House Correspondents Association got involved, calling it a violation of the First Amendment. Eventually, a federal judge had to step in and tell the White House they couldn't punish the press for using the old name.
What Mexico Thought
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum didn't exactly lose sleep over it. She mostly brushed it off with a bit of sarcasm. At one point, she joked that if the U.S. was going to rename the Gulf, maybe Mexico should start calling North America "Mexican America."
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"For the entire world, it is still the Gulf of Mexico," she said. And she was right. The United Nations and the International Hydrographic Organization haven't budged. To them, the name is a matter of international record, not a presidential preference.
The Reality Today
So, where does that leave us? Honestly, it’s a bit of a mess.
- Federal documents use Gulf of America.
- U.S. Maps show Gulf of America.
- Scientific journals and international pilots still use Gulf of Mexico.
- Local news in the south is split down the middle.
A poll taken a year ago showed that about 72% of registered voters actually opposed the name change. People found it confusing. But for the administration, it wasn't about the polls—it was about branding the environment.
Actionable Insights for Navigating the Name Change
If you're doing business, traveling, or just trying to stay informed, here is how to handle the Gulf of America situation:
- Check Your Source: If you're looking at a map provided by a U.S. federal agency (like NOAA or the USGS), expect to see "Gulf of America." Don't assume it's a different body of water; it’s the same one you've always known.
- International Travel: When booking flights or cruises to Mexico or Cuba, your tickets and maritime charts will still use "Gulf of Mexico." International carriers generally do not recognize the U.S. name change.
- Business Documentation: If you are applying for federal grants or permits related to offshore energy or fishing, use the term "Gulf of America" to avoid administrative delays. The BGN has updated the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), making it the "conventional" name for federal use.
- SEO and Content: If you’re a creator, use both names. People are searching for both, and using them in tandem helps your content stay relevant to both domestic and international audiences.
The renaming of the Gulf remains one of the most visual and controversial "America First" policies of the current era. Whether it sticks long-term or becomes a historical footnote depends entirely on whether the next administration decides to keep the maps as they are or flip them back.